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GCSEs study help

I have a few questions. I’m on mostly 6s (a B). I didn’t revise much for the mocks. In two and a half months, is it possible to get 8s ( an A*) with a lot of revision? That’s my target so that’s why I ask.

Also, what is the best way to revise? I have bought cgp books for almost every subject, and I buy a5 notepads for each paper in the GCSEs eg. An a5 book for chem paper 1 , another for paper 2, and then I write notes .The only notes I’ve fully wrote from the guides are all of chemistry, some of physics and that’s it. I’m unsure if this is a good way to revise. Should I carry on doing this with every other subject - I feel comfortable doing this but I’m unsure if it’s effective enough. I tried to do other methods ie flash cards, but I was unsure exactly what to write on these flash cards. And mindmaps don’t appeal to me tbh. Since I have two full a5 books on chemistry I’ve spent like 8 hours on, what do I do with these? Just read over them? If I make flash cards, then on what? I’m unsure what I’m meant to write since I’ve already written any info needed in these books.

So basically I’m asking, is writing a full a5 book of notes for a paper effective? What do I do after i’ve written an entire notebook worth of notes? Just read over them? And if I make flash cards, what do I write on them? And also, is an 8 achievable with heavy revision? And if you could name any other revision methods to help get these grades that’d help.

Any help is appreciated.

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Reply 1

Letitiajadax

Hi there! Making notes is a great way of revising but it can become a little time consuming if not done the right way!. Try doing past papers( send me your Science exam board and i could send you some ). Also making flashcards is great but you must read over them from time 2 time. have u tried any online quizzes they help jog your memory! And also teaching some is a really great idea!

Reply 2

GcseStudent9

Anyone here with a grade 8-9 predicted grades for english lit?

Reply 3

milliewastestime

Original post by GcseStudent9

Anyone here with a grade 8-9 predicted grades for english lit?

I got a 9 in my lit mock if you need help with anything

Reply 4

milliewastestime

Past papers are super helpful after you’ve written basic notes so you can see how much you’d know in an exam situation and how to improve your revision and exam technique from there (revising exam technique is a good use of time as well bc it’s really easy to structure a question wrong for essay subjects and it can affect your grade)

Reply 5

ray44

Original post by milliewastestime

I got a 9 in my lit mock if you need help with anything

what texts are you doing? I could probably do with some help, i barely passed my mock

Reply 6

milliewastestime

Original post by ray44

what texts are you doing? I could probably do with some help, i barely passed my mock

I’m doing macbeth, inspector calls, Christmas Carol, power+conflict poetry for AQA. Pm me if we’re doing the same things and I’ll try to help

Reply 7

chloesky2018

Original post by milliewastestime

I got a 9 in my lit mock if you need help with anything

oml yessssss, im predicted high grades but i moved abroad two years ago, came back this year and now im catching up in everysubject getting 6s apart from english which i find really difficult since the spec changed and im really behind, ive read all the books and now i need to start analysing, do i have enough time? exams are in exactly 80 days, is that enough? what should i do?

Reply 8

milliewastestime

Original post by chloesky2018

When you say ‘is this enough time’?, the answer is it’s kinda going to have to be bc it’s all youve got. Work hard for these final weeks and you should be set to get your grade6, you’ll defo be able to pass. I’ll be honest, the way you spend your time is far more important than the amount of the time you have. Ik people who have had 2 years to learn this but are in the exact same position as you. Buy revision guides for starters, it’s defo quicker than reading through everything and making notes - a free alternative are study YouTube channels: mr bruff, revision with eve, unjadedjade are some popular ones. You need basic points that you can expand on, bits of context and key themes. If we’re doing the same texts I could give you the themes and some points and quotes to save you some time? Then you need to develop them by doing a bit of research. Make sure you learn exam technique as well, I doubt it’s changed since you moved but just to refresh your memory a bit.

Reply 9

chloesky2018

Original post by milliewastestime

thank you😭😭im doing inspector calls, jekyll and hyde and romeo and juliet?

Reply 10

milliewastestime

Original post by chloesky2018

thank you😭😭im doing inspector calls, jekyll and hyde and romeo and juliet?

We both do inspector calls. Which poems do you study?

Reply 11

chloesky2018

Original post by milliewastestime

We both do inspector calls. Which poems do you study?

love and relationships, you dont mind if you can help me in english, well in language and inspector calls, do you have any notes?😊😊

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 12

milliewastestime

Original post by chloesky2018

love and relationships, you dont mind if you can help me in english, well in language and inspector calls, do you have any notes?😊😊

Ngl I need to make them but I can give you quotes and themes from memory bc we’re doing it in class atm

Reply 13

chloesky2018

Original post by milliewastestime

Ngl I need to make them but I can give you quotes and themes from memory bc we’re doing it in class atm

thank you😭😭😭😭😭

Reply 14

milliewastestime

Original post by chloesky2018

thank you😭😭😭😭😭

pm me if you need anything. I’m starting notemaking tonight so it’ll help refresh my brain talking to someone about it as I go along

Reply 15

internet monster

Original post by milliewastestime

I got a 9 in my lit mock if you need help with anything

Can you explain how to structure an inspector calls exam answer? I don't know how to lay everything out.

Reply 16

milliewastestime

Original post by internet monster

Can you explain how to structure an inspector calls exam answer? I don't know how to lay everything out.

Yeah of course. Structure we use at school is PEALEACT(+AA). Extra ik.

An ideal para would have:
Point
Evidence
Explanation
Link to a different part of the play and to the question!! Constantly refer back to Q!!
Evidence of link
Explanation of link
Context
Theme
Playwrights intention
+Alternate interpretations (higher grade).
You can have those last 4 things mixed in after the last analysis too. They just need to be there.

It seems like a lot, but you don’t need all of them in every para. Like context is only like 6 marks so you need two small points and that’s it.

Your essay should go:
Short intro
Para 1
Para 2
Para 3
Para 4 if you have time (depends on para length)
Conclusion. It’s good to summarise your points here and then put in like a really fire point that the examiner will like. Essay ends on a good and memorable note which should work in your favour.

Hope this sorta helps